


Chasing Pavements

by always_never



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fixing timelines, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, I only write if i hear a good song, Karl Jacobs-centric, Karl worries his fiances, Light Angst, M/M, Oneshot, Time Travel, Time Traveler!Karl Jacobs, Time Travelling Karl Jacobs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-17 14:22:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29101710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/always_never/pseuds/always_never
Summary: Karl forgets his fiances for a moment, but it's enough to send him into a spiral. Is he doing the right thing by staying with them, or is he only causing them more pain?
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity & Karl Jacobs, Alexis | Quackity & Karl Jacobs & Sapnap, Alexis | Quackity & Sapnap, Alexis | Quackity/Karl Jacobs, Alexis | Quackity/Karl Jacobs/Sapnap, Alexis | Quackity/Sapnap, Karl Jacobs & Sapnap, Karl Jacobs/Sapnap, Karlnapity - Relationship
Comments: 8
Kudos: 584





	Chasing Pavements

It was like trying to read in the dark.

He knew that he knew these men, but he just couldn’t discern what they meant. They had to be important to him, right? Why else would their faces rest smiling in the locket around his neck? Were they his friends? His family? People he needed to save?

He ran through the many timelines he’s visited within seconds, twisting the rings on his fingers as he thought. Were they relatives of someone he knew? The man in the beanie looked like an old woman he had met once. Karl cringed at the memory, remembering how she met her end. It probably wasn’t relevant to this timeline. Unless it was extremely relevant, then he’d have to travel back and fix whatever he carelessly fucked up this time.

“Karl?” One of the guys in front of him cleared his throat, reminding Karl of their presence. “You’re acting weird.” 

Karl stared at him, long enough for him to shift around in uncomfortable tension. The sun had begun to set, casting everything in an orange haze. The boy looked good basked in gold, he decided that much. It bounced off black hair, tinting the white headband tied around his forehead. It added flare to the fire symbol on his shirt. Wasn’t it awfully warm out for him to be wearing layers like that? 

Crickets began to chirp, a slight breeze brushing past the three of them. The Flame-man turned to Beanie-dude, making motions with his eyes back to Karl, then clearing his throat again. Beanie-dude seemed to catch the drift, his eyes widening a little as he turned to Karl. “You’re good, right? You’re doing okay? You were gone for a while, we didn’t know where you went.”

So Karl had a lasting impact in this timeline? He found himself looking at the blades of grass buried under the wooden path they stood on. It was going to make everything so much more awkward, but he just had to know.

“I’m sorry,” The boys seemed to jump at his voice, a worried look bouncing between them. He paused for a moment, sucking in a deep breath before he continued on. “I’m sorry, but could you remind me who you guys are?”

Beanie-dude forced a laugh, shaking his head. “What? Karl, that’s not funny.” 

Beanie-dude turned to Flame-guy, waiting for a response. When nothing was said, he turned back to him. “Karl, you’re joking, right?”

Nothing.

“You seriously forgot us? It’s been, like, a week, how did you forget? Karl we’re literally-” 

“Quackity, stop.” Flame-guy spoke in a quiet voice. Karl would’ve missed it if he hadn’t seen the way he grabbed Beanie-dude’s (Quackity’s?) hand. They had matching rings, two rings on both of their ring fingers. “He looks sick. We need to lay him down.”

Karl looked back down at his own hands, then to the rings on his own finger. They were identical to the ones the other boys wore, and Karl suddenly felt like an idiot. He was married, not to mention he was married to TWO people. Shouldn’t that be something written in his book?

He was exhausted. He was run down. He isn’t sure how much longer he can spend hopping around timelines before he loses himself completely.

“I’m fine. I’m sorry, I just.. I didn’t forget you guys. Why would I forget my own husbands?” Karl shook his head, rubbing the palm of his hands over his tired eyes as he took in a breath. When he removed his hands he was met with two shocked faces. “What?”

“Husbands?” Quackity turned to Flame-guy, squeezing his hand tighter. “Sapnap?”

Sapnap returned the squeeze, never taking his eyes off of Karl. “Jacobs, we haven’t had our wedding yet.” Shit. “Let’s get you home, okay?”

Karl slowly lifted his hand to his watch. Quackity and Sapnap. Fiances. Rings. Got it. He ignored the way they moved in to take his hand, instead he pressed down on his watch, closing his eyes as the world faded out behind him. They said he’d been gone for a week? 

\--

It was easier this time around.

He knew when Sapnap and Quackity would bump into him on the path. He made sure to go back an extra week this time. Everything was easier.

Karl grinned when he caught a glimpse of the two boys who were happily chatting to one another. “Sap! Big Q!” He called out to them, waving his arms in the air. It was enough to draw them out of their conversation. He took note of the way their faces lit up as they ran to meet each other. 

Sapnap gives amazing hugs, Karl decided as he was engulfed in the boy’s arms. Quackity had the softest lips, Karl decided as he was kissed all over the face. 

“Where did ya’ go? You missed lunch, dickhead.” Quackity’s voice held no real malice behind it. He tilted his head to the side as he spoke, strands of his hair messily sticking out of his beanie.

Karl reached in, carefully brushing it over to the side of his face as he spoke. “I was just running some errands, I didn’t think it’d take that long. Can I pwease be forgiven?” He added a teasing tone to his words, giggling when Quackity’s pout disappeared.

“Running errands? Who even says that anymore, Jacobs? What, are you old or something?” Sapnap’s arm fell around his waist, his other pulled Quackity closer to him. 

Karl smiled, shaking his head. “Oh, whatever.”

He felt a flutter in his chest, before it turned to guilt. Was this right? Was he right?

Karl knew he loved them. He loved them with his whole chest. He loved being with them. He loved them. He loved them, but he still forgot them. 

Was he just caught in a moment? Was it time-lag? It didn’t matter, because it still happened. He was covering up a lie. He knew he forgot them. He loved them, but it terrified him. What if he doesn’t remember them next time? What if he doesn’t remember to come back? How would that be fair to his boys?

Was this worth it? Was it worth chasing fragments of memories to keep everything up? To pretend to have a normal life? Was he wasting his time, THEIR time, for some idea of comfort? Was it time to give up?

Karl blinked back when his hands were held by his fiances. They smiled at him, continuing their conversation from earlier, as if it was the easiest thing in the world. They walked with him on the path, taking a familiar turn towards their home. Loving came so easy for them. Karl wanted that more than anything, he wanted to love them unrestrictedly. 

Karl made up his mind. He didn’t care if he was right, because it was what he wanted, what he needed. He was doing this for them. Everything he was doing was for them. He never wanted to see them get hurt. He would do anything for them. He didn’t care if it killed him. He only cared about seeing the loves of his life happy.

He would go to the next timeline within the next month. He would finish what he started, and when it was all over he’d be able to go home. He’d be able to sleep in with them, to make them breakfast in bed, to hold them, to kiss them. It was worth the brain fog. It was worth the butterfly effects.

He didn’t care if he doomed himself. When it came down to it, he’d pick them. He’d always pick them.

**Author's Note:**

> how are we handling things?
> 
> also i'm working on an awesamdad fic! I'm not too sure when I'll be posting it, but I'm excited to write it. Keep an eye out for "Moving On", a fun lil story about Sam taking in Tommy and showing him that not all parents suck


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